Learning and Skills Council: Strategic Area Reviews

Baroness Sharp of Guildford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What was the cost of strategic area reviews in 2003–04; and what will be the cost in 2004–05.

Baroness Ashton of Upholland: The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) was established in 2001 to plan and fund post-16 education and training. LSC-led strategic area reviews were introduced in April 2002 and are an integral part of this planning role. No extra funding was allocated to carry out these reviews and it is therefore not possible to dissaggregate their specific cost from the overall cost of the wide range of planning activities carried out by local LSCs.

Education Maintenance Allowance

Baroness Sharp of Guildford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	(a) how many and (b) what percentage of young people who received education maintenance allowances in each pilot area were studying in further education colleges; and
	How much of the funding allocation for the 2003 to 2006 spending review was allocated to the national roll-out of education maintenance allowance in: (a) schools (b) sixth-form colleges; and (c) further education colleges.

Baroness Ashton of Upholland: Nationally, 36 per cent of 16 to 18 year-olds on full-time further education courses are studying in further education colleges. In the 56 EMA pilot areas 136 sixth-form colleges/colleges of further education were involved in EMA. A breakdown of how many students attending further education colleges received EMA in the pilot areas is not available.
	For the national scheme, the funding is made available to young people in full-time education whether they are studying in school, sixth-form college or further education college. The money is paid directly to the learner rather than via the institution, and the EMA budget is not split between institutions.

Sixth Forms

Baroness Sharp of Guildford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How much funding was provided by each local learning and skills council to school sixth forms in (a) 2002–03; and (b) 2003–04; and how many students each of these school sixth forms have on their rolls.

Baroness Ashton of Upholland: The department allocates funds for the provision of education at school sixth forms to the Learning and Skills Council (LSC). Information about these allocations at local LSC level is not collected by the department. This is an operational matter and the responsibility of the LSC. Mark Haysom, the LSC's chief executive, will write to the noble Baroness with this information and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Library.

Skipton Fund

Lord Morris of Manchester: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Warner on 24 June (WA 151) concerning representations about the Skipton Fund sent to the Department of Health on behalf of the Haemophilia Society in Scotland, when they expect the department's response to be placed in the Library of the House; and whether it will also be copied to Members involved with the correspondence.

Lord Warner: The Department of Health's response has been forwarded to my noble friend and a copy has been placed in the Library.

Blue Flag Scheme

Lord Fearn: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the Blue Flag scheme for clean English beaches is to continue.

Lord Whitty: The Blue Flag scheme will continue to operate in England. It is administered in the UK by ENCAMS (Keep Britain Tidy) on behalf of the FEE (Foundation for Environmental Education) and recognises beaches that are safe, clean and well managed.

Cattle Tracing System

Baroness Byford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What have been the costs of running the cattle tracing system and the animal movement licensing system for each of the years 2000 to 2003 and for 2004 to date.

Lord Whitty: The direct running costs of the cattle tracing system (CTS) are set out in the table below:
	
		
			  CTS (£ million) 
			 2000–01 13.25 
			 2001–02 14.24 
			 2002–03 15.79 
			 2003–04 15.39 
			 2004–05 2.34 (to 31/05/04) 
			  14.90 (full year forecast) 
		
	
	The animal movements licensing system (AMLS) was introduced in September 2001. Enforcement of the livestock movements rules and data input to AMLS by local authorities constitute the main cost of running the system. It is not possible to separate these costs precisely from each other, or from payments made to local authorities for other work relating to animal health. We estimate, however, that in 2002–03 this work cost approximately £3.8 million and in 2003–04 £3.0 million. Figures for 2004–05 are not yet available because invoices come into the department in arrears, but systems are now in place to provide a more precise breakdown of costs once invoices have been received.

Cattle Tracing System

Baroness Byford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What impact the cattle tracing system will have on the employment levels of the British Cattle Movement Service; whether a target employment level has been set; and, if so, what that target is.

Lord Whitty: The cattle tracing system (CTS) is being migrated to a new information platform in order to improve its reliability. The business case that supports the change did not seek to identify direct staff savings at the British Cattle Movement Service (BCMS) in Workington. However efficiency savings and the completion of short-term projects has enabled the BCMS to reduce the number of staff employed from 858, comprising 505 permanent and 353 agency staff, in November 2003 to 669, 492 permanent staff and 177 agency staff, in July 2004.
	A long-term target employment level has not been set as this will depend upon the uptake of direct reporting by customers to the database via the CTS website. However, numbers are expected to decline further. Procedures are being put in place to extend the central database to cover the tracing of sheep, pigs and other farmed species but the impact of these changes on staff numbers has yet to be established.
	The BCMS also delivers call centre services across core Defra. It merged with the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) in April 2003 and is an integral part of the RPA's corporate structure.

Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000: Mapping

Lord Moynihan: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What was the initial budget for the mapping required to implement the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000; and what is the latest estimate of the costs of such mapping.

Lord Whitty: Mapping is one of the Countryside Agency's responsibilities under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000. The agency's estimate at the end of 2000 for its total costs in implementing the new right of access was £28 million over four years. At that stage, the regulations covering public consultation on the draft maps had not been framed, nor had decisions been taken about the regional commencement of the new right of access. In the event, publicity arrangements and the consultation exercise for the draft maps were much more extensive than originally envisaged. The agency received eight times its initial estimate of the number of public comments on the draft maps. This was welcome for the scrutiny it gave the draft maps, but had a major impact on the overall mapping costs.
	To the end of May 2004 the Countryside Agency has spent £30.19 million consisting of £0.75 million in 1999–2000; £0.92 million in 2000–01; £5.17 million in 2001–02; £8.30 million in 2002–03; £13.25 million in 2003–04; and £1.8 million to date in 2004–05. The agency expects to spend a further £14.9 million in the current financial year, and estimates expenditure of £8.9 million in 2005–06. These costs include the agency's work on mapping, public consultation, the appeals process, restrictions and exclusions administration, communications and public information and salary costs.
	Defra has also funded the Planning Inspectorate to deal with appeals against the inclusion of land on provisional maps and restriction appeals: £0.11 million in 2001–02; £0.84 million in 2002–03 and £1.20 million in 2003–04. The Planning Inspectorate expects to spend no more than £2 million in the current financial year.